


The Adrestian Knot

by AutumnVine



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Both are Low-key Kinky, Enemies to Lovers, Enemy Lovers, Exhausted Edelgard, F/F, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route Spoilers, Kissing, Okay More Like High-key, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Restraints, Sassy My Unit | Byleth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:54:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29339394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutumnVine/pseuds/AutumnVine
Summary: After a warp spell goes awry, Byleth and Edelgard find themselves stranded leagues behind enemy lines.It’s only slightly troublesome that both are on opposite sides.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 9
Kudos: 95





	The Adrestian Knot

Byleth barely has time to adjust to the changed surroundings before a fist crashes into the side of her face.

It wasn’t that she didn’t expect something like that to happen, but she definitely would have appreciated a little more heads-up.

Reeling from the impact, the Professor-turned-Resistance leader stumbles backwards, falling into the grass of whatever distant clearing she had found herself in. Out of instinct she reaches for the Sword of the Creator, only to find the relic absent from its usual place at her side.

Off to a great start.

Things only get worse when as she attempts to rise to her feet, a sharp and familiar sliver of metal worms its way beneath her chin. It feels odd, Byleth has to admit, to be on the other side of the act for once.

“Looking for something, my teacher?”

The haggard face of Emperor Edelgard glares down at her, silver hair freed from its twin buns and eyes aflame with lilac fire. Like Byleth, her armored clothing was torn and dirty from battle. And in her hands she tightly clenches the exact weapon the older woman had been trying to locate.

“Well, I thought I was missing my sword, but you appear to have found it.”

Edelgard evidently wasn’t amused, and forces Byleth’s head upwards with the flat of the relic. Already a faint trickle of blood leaks from her neck and down the edge.

“Are you just stupid, Professor?” Edelgard hisses. “Jumping into another’s warp spell is already dangerous enough, but for you to also dislodge Hubert in the process… we could all have been killed!”

“As if I could just allow you to run away,” Byleth retorts weakly, silently admitting that it wasn’t exactly the smartest decision she’d ever made. “I’m not going to let you prolong this war just because you’re too stubborn to surrender.”

That earns her a slight dig of the sword’s point.

“Congratulations then, because all you’ve succeeded in doing is getting us lost miles off course.” Edelgard rubs her head with a free hand. “No doubt Hubert is very worried.”

Mockingly, Byleth smiles. “Oh no, poor Hubert…”

Growling, the emperor motions for her to stand up. Rising on unsteady feet, Byleth feels very naked without a weapon, especially since the Sword of the Creator remains pressed against her neck.

The two regard each other.

After sleeping for more than five years, Byleth admittedly hasn’t seen much of her former student, usually just at the other end of a battlefield. While their little reunion was a considerable low point in the history of their relationship, she did assume things couldn’t get any worse.

Evidently they always could.

“Empty your bag,” Edelgard orders, pointing to the satchel slung across Byleth’s shoulders and hanging at her side.

“Edelgard…”

The sword digs deeper, the blood more than a trickle. “Empty. It. Now.”

So she does, spilling the contents onto the grass. A small whetstone, a length of rope, some assorted fishing tackle and a vulnerary bottle.

Examining the objects with a pursed expression, Edelgard nods to herself. “Pick up the bottle, drink half, then hand the rest to me.”

Byleth doesn’t argue, seeing as that was a rather nice gesture from the woman currently holding her at sword-point. The potion burns going down her throat but the healing effects are instant, closing up the small wounds all across her body. When she carefully gives the bottle to Edelgard the emperor quickly downs the remaining contents, then tosses it away.

“Now,” Edelgard continues, not wasting any time, “I want you to take the rope, and without any sudden movements, pass it over.”

Instantly, Byleth bristles at the implication. “Absolutely not.”

The Sword of the Creator is pushed against her sternum, and Edelgard frowns at being disobeyed. “You don’t have a choice, my teacher.”

“It doesn’t have to go like this. We can just walk away from each other, no harm done.”

But Edelgard’s expression makes it clear she doesn’t believe that possible for even a second. “It’s not as though I particularly like this either. But _you_ were the one to pursue me, and therefore I need to disable you as a threat.”

Unfortunately, Byleth does understand the logic in play. Given the chance, she would have continued going after her former student in an effort to both end the war and save her life. So with an incredibly loud sigh, she reaches down and spools the rope together, then holds it out for Edelgard to take.

Snatching the cord from her hands, Edelgard makes a circular motion with a finger. “Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”

Byleth obeys, and she hears the sound of her stolen weapon being implanted in the dirt before her wrists are roughly pulled together. Without a word, Edelgard folds the rope in the middle, then brings both ends towards each other. Laying the line around Byleth’s wrists, she loops it across and through itself, then pulls tight in the opposite direction.

“So, do you do this very often?” Byleth asks, trying to make conversation. “Taking old friends prisoner by yourself, I mean.”

“Shut up,” Edelgard replies with a hiss, taking the length of rope and encircling it around the professor’s wrists clockwise. “Or I will gag you.”

Finishing in that direction, she takes the remaining cord and loops it vertically between Byleth’s hands, which pulls the existing bindings closer together. Satisfied with her handiwork, she ties off the remaining amount of cord, finishing the knot.

“That will have to do.” She shoves Byleth on the shoulder, spinning her around so they were facing each other again. Her expression dour, Edelgard at least has the decency not to appear thrilled by what’s going on.

Testing the binds, Byleth isn’t surprised not to find any leeway. Internally, she settles in for what she knows will be a long day. “Now what? You’ve got me all helpless, so I assume you have a plan.”

Edelgard uproots the Sword of the Creator and sheathes it. From her side she pulls out a well-worn dagger, then points it towards her newfound captive.

“Kneel.”

Again, Byleth finds herself bristling at the order, well aware that she was currently in an even less favorable position than earlier.

“Edelgard, don’t. You’ve taken this far enough now, so just trust me that I’m not going to-”

But her words are cut off as the emperor kicks her legs out from under her, causing Byleth to topple to the ground. Before she can even groan in pain, Edelgard yanks her up and forcibly to her knees. Byleth feels her hands being pulled back to create space before the Sword of the Creator is thrust behind her and into the dirt, effectively pinning the older woman in place.

Struggling, Byleth quickly fails to make any headway in freeing herself. The relic was entrenched too deeply in the ground to simply dislodge, and the leather sheathe encasing it prevented her from just cutting the rope against the blade.

“Damn it, you really don’t have any faith in me, do you?”

Edelgard’s face comes into view as she squats down next to her. “Not really, no.” A small smirk allows itself to grace her lips. “Now we wait.”

“For what?” Byleth asks, watching as the other woman stands up and begins surveying their surroundings.

“It will take Hubert a few hours to prepare a tracking spell to our location, provided we stay in one place.” Edelgard points to the large swathe of trees that circled the edges of their little clearing. “Judging by the foliage, we appear to be up north.”

“Wonderful,” Byleth grumbles, already feeling her knees and legs begin to ache. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and my allies will find us first.”

Clicking her tongue, Edelgard shakes her head. “I have no intention of being defeated or captured by you, or any of those false goddesses’ puppets.”

“You should cut your own strings before accusing anyone of being a puppet,” Byleth snaps, and feels an odd sort of pain at Edelgard’s momentary discomfort.

The two glare at each other for a while before Edelgard breaks contact first, scooping up the empty bottle from the ground. “I’m going to locate a source of water for us.” She points at Byleth. “Stay put.”

“It’s not like I can go anywhere!” Byleth yells after the emperor’s retreating form, letting her tense body relax a little - or as much as she can, given the circumstances.

Sothis, why did she have to get stuck with the most difficult one?

—

Byleth was so lost and wrapped up in her own thoughts that she fails to notice Edelgard’s return until the glass of the bottle is pressed against her lips and she tastes cold water.

Looking up at her captor, she debates being difficult, but thirst wins out in the end.

“Thank you,” she whispers unnecessarily when Edelgard takes the remainder and sits down across from her.

“There’s a small stream down the hill.” Finishing her share, Edelgard sighs with a deliberate sense of melancholy. “The air… the trees… I haven’t been able to enjoy nature like this in years.”

The words echo in their shared history, proof of that one night when the truth of their shared crest came to light. But Byleth didn’t feel like giving her the pleasure of that nostalgia. Not easily anyway.

“Yes, because I’m having a wonderful time,” she complains, pushing against her restraints and the Sword of the Creator, which only wiggles slightly.

Scoffing, Edelgard stares at her with curious disbelief. “Perhaps you shouldn’t have followed me then, my teacher. Or given up so easily.”

Unsure of a proper response, Byleth averts her gaze.

“Why did you? Not fight back I mean.”

“Maybe I just like being tied up,” Byleth snidely retorts, but the glib comment falls flat against Edelgard’s steel expression.

“Or maybe…” A hand reaches out and brushes against the paleness of the professor’s cheek, and suddenly the emperor is incredibly close. Their eyes meet, unblinking. “…you can’t bring yourself to hurt me.”

Byleth swallows, hands twitching from where they were bound behind her. More than anything else, she wants to reach out and touch Edelgard too. But their equality had been stripped away, relationship destroyed by the war between them.

So she just closes her eyes, hangs her head, and the sensation vanishes as the former student pulls away. And the distance engulfs them once again.

—

As the day passes and evening begins to set, the northern air grows colder than either of them expected.

Edelgard starts a fire, then removes the relic weapon so Byleth can sit down next to it. The heat is warm and inviting, and although neither of them dictate it, they settle in closely together.

When the stars begin to come out, Edelgard actually gasps quietly to herself as she watches. Joining in, Byleth finds the sight extraordinarily beautiful, though she doesn’t quite know how much of it was determined by who she was enjoying it with.

“It’s gorgeous,” she finally speaks up, eyes catching on the emperor’s calm expression.

“It is,” Edelgard agrees, leaning back. “I haven’t seen the northern sky in so long…It reminds me of simpler days. No conflict, no strife.”

“That sounds nice.” Giving her bonds another experimental tug, Byleth finds they haven’t loosened at all - clearly Edelgard knew what she was doing. “Do you ever wish to go back to those days?”

Edelgard doesn’t nod, but she does turn to face her more fully. “As much as anyone would, I suppose. But considering my role in instigating this war… I don’t believe I have a right to wax nostalgic for very long.”

That sounded immensely sad to Byleth, even if she understood the logic behind it. Still, she found her words ringing true even now. Could she actually hurt Edelgard if it came down to it? Because really…

“… I think you deserve to be happy too,” she states plainly.

She looks as if Byleth had just slapped her across the face. The stars forgotten, Edelgard’s body visibly tenses as she adjusts herself so the two were staring face-to-face.

“My teacher… why are you like this with me?”

“Like what?”

Reaching out with a hand, Edelgard once again brushes it against Byleth’s cheeks, eyes widening just a little bit as her former professor slows her breathing in response. She isn’t told to stop, and continues to trace the outlines of her cheekbones down to the edges of her mouth.

“Kind. As if you don’t hate me.”

Byleth wants nothing more than to lean into it, preferably so the emperor’s hand could fully rest against the side of her face. The idea felt… comforting in a way she couldn’t explain.

“I don’t hate you, Edelgard,” she admits. “I don’t think I ever truly could.”

Even in the fast growing darkness, Edelgard’s face still burns an obvious shade of red. Now she uncurls her fingers fully, letting her palm lay flat exactly where Byleth wanted it. She shudders as the older woman closes her eyes and brushes up against her hand, almost like a cat.

“I… I don’t think I could hate you either, my teacher.”

And Byleth just smiles. No demands or accusations regarding her present circumstances. Just genuine affection.

“I’m glad. My heart might break if that were the case.”

But Edelgard feels as if hers’ already has.

—

At one point, Edelgard briefly unties Byleth and begins to massage her wrists to soothe the chaffing and rope burn. It’s incredibly comforting, and she’s far too stunned by the intimacy of the action to even think about escaping.

“You’ll thank me later,” Edelgard tells her as she gently presses her fingers against the swollen skin. “Otherwise the pain will be much worse.”

Not doubting it, Byleth lets her continue, enjoying the sensation more than she thinks is appropriate given their current power dynamic. But the entire time there’s an underlying feeling about the deliberate nature of this activity.

“I’m sorry,” she mutters under her breath.

Confused, Edelgard tilts her head. “Whatever for?”

“You’re speaking from personal experience.”

There’s a sharp intake of breath, but Edelgard doesn’t stop what she’s doing. “I’m not the person you should be feeling sorry for, my teacher. Not if Hubert finds us first.”

Byleth can imagine it. As much as her old student might advocate for some semblance of kindness, being processed as the Empire’s prisoner of war would no doubt be unpleasant. She wasn’t going to let it happen, but can’t bring herself to fight back just yet - not while she and Edelgard were finally on more pleasant terms.

It isn’t long before the emperor binds her again, though this time with her hands in front and with a more comfortable knot.

“Consider it a reward for your good behavior,” she tells her, and Byleth can’t help but laugh. It wasn’t unwelcome to feel something other than hostility.

“I’m not your pet, Edelgard,” Byleth teases, delighting in the furious blush it forces upon her captor’s cheeks. Goddess, was it always easy to catch her off balance like this?

Growling under her breath, Edelgard crawls forward and places a warning finger in front of her face. “Watch yourself, Professor. I’m still not opposed to gagging you.” But her paling complexion betrays her somewhat.

Byleth grins at her small victory. Edelgard smiles too, the empty threat amusing to her as well.

And in that instant, both realize just how close the two of them are to each other. Close enough that Byleth barely has to lean forward before her lips brush against Edelgard’s.

The kiss is momentary, but both take as much from it as they can in those brief seconds. To Byleth, it tastes exactly like what she always imagined Edelgard did. It’s everything.

“My teacher… you…” She could barely speak.

“Use your words, Edelgard,” Byleth gently coaxes, smiling in the short distance between them.

“You… you know we’re supposed to be enemies, yes?” Edelgard finally manages to make out, huffing. But she still doesn’t pull away.

If Byleth could, she would have reached out and run her hands through that long white hair. But instead she kisses her softly once more, in defiance of their assumed fate.

“Don’t ruin the moment,” she whispers. “I know you want this.”

Taking those words to heart, Edelgard quickly seizes control of the situation. With one hand against the back of Byleth’s head she lowers her to the ground, pinning her bound wrists above her using the other.

With a deep kiss, Edelgard claims Byleth as her own.

The professor almost whimpers at how good that felt, and she realizes there might very well have been another reason for her earlier compliance.

“Sounds like someone else wants this too,” Edelgard teases in turn. She raises herself just enough to begin straddling Byleth’s body. “Being my pet doesn’t sound so bad now, does it?”

“Edelgard, I swear to the goddess if you don’t keep kissing me, I will burn through these ropes with my crest and make you.”

Whether that was a threat or a promise, the emperor tightens her hold over Byleth, then lets her mouth do the rest of the talking.

Byleth doesn't exactly know why, but each and every action her newfound lover takes drives her crazy, from the way their fingers curl together on the cold grass to how Edelgard always bites down on her lower lip with each temporary parting. At the same time she tries her best to give Edelgard what she wants - just enough of a challenge that their intimacy seems earned. 

They were predator and prey, this yearning their hunting grounds.

Time passes indiscriminately, and there’s the faint inkling in the back of her mind that they might be discovered like this, but Byleth finds she couldn’t care less.

It would change nothing in the end. Eventually they would stop, she would remain bound, and the fighting would begin again.

But for now…

Behind them the campfire flickers and burns, the flames casting an aura of light across their bodies as the stars take on new life in the darkness above.

Yet she finds the way Edelgard kisses her far more beautiful.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a reference to the legend of Alexander the Great. 
> 
> Since Silver Snow failed to provide us with any meaningful interactions between Byleth and Edelgard as enemies outside their first and last cutscene together, I’ve apparently taken it upon myself to invent increasingly contrived scenarios in which the two are allowed to do so. And maybe let them smooch a little too. 
> 
> Yes, I seemingly have a type when it comes to story scenarios. Hopefully it's still enjoyable?


End file.
